Tiny might: Nanoparticles with huge surface area created to capture carbon

Carbon capture technology has been touted as a crucial solution for removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. However, the large size, high cost, and lengthy construction time of these plants have hindered their widespread adoption.

A Nottingham-based climate tech company has come up with a novel solution to fight the global climate crisis.

Promethean Particles is harnessing the power of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) to capture and store greenhouse gases.

What makes them special is their extremely large internal surface area. According to the BBC , a single teaspoon of these particles has the same surface area as two tennis courts.

The company has recently secured an £8 million investment to produce large quantities of these nanoparticles.

“It is increasingly evident that a viable carbon capture solution is required to help mitigate the effects of climate change. MOFs show significant promise as a technological solution and Promethean’s manufacturing technology enables their production at unprecedented scale and cost-effectiveness,” said James Stephenson, chief executive officer of Promethean.

Capturing and storing carbon

These super-absorbent MOFs are materials made of metal ions linked together by organic molecules to create a porous, lattice-like structure.

The internal surfaces of MOFs can be modified to attract or “become sticky” for different gases for different uses.

Notably, MOFs can be customized to have different pore sizes. This allows them to capture and store gases and even liquids at higher rates, making them ideal for applications like gas storage, separation, carbon capture, and catalysis.

Interestingly, these tiny particles could capture carbon at its point of origin, like a cement manufacturing plant.

Reportedly, these MOF particles are currently being tested in a prototype carbon capture unit at Drax power station in Yorkshire.

UK’s climate goal

Promethean has developed a new manufacturing process that dramatically reduces the cost of producing MOFs

The company has created a unique continuous-flow reactor to improve the efficiency of MOF production. Moreover, this also ensures consistent quality.

As per the press release , this new funding will be used to develop a larger MOF production facility.

Moreover, they plan to use inexpensive, readily available metals like zinc and magnesium to produce the nanoparticles and reduce production costs.

Apart from carbon storage, Promethean’s MOF products are used in a variety of applications, including biogas upgrading, water harvesting, and gas separation and storage.

MOFs can act as both mini-sponges and mini-sieves, capturing and storing large volumes of greenhouse gases. This could be a game-changer for carbon capture and storage, a technology essential to achieving a carbon-neutral future.

As per BBC , the UK has committed to capturing and storing between 20 and 30 million tonnes of carbon dioxide annually by 2030. To achieve this, they have announced several carbon capture projects. However, CCS has proven to be expensive and energy-intensive, and no large-scale projects have been implemented yet.

Moreover, climate experts have consistently argued that focusing on such tech could divert attention from the more pressing issue of rapidly reducing emissions.

If the price of MOFs can be significantly reduced, they could revolutionize CCS and contribute to mitigating climate change in the near future.